Cine Las Americas Offers Free 'Master Classes'

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Cine Las AmericasWith the 14th annual Cine Las Americas looming on the horizon, we thought there is something you should know. Not only do they have another schedule packed full of films encompassing the breadth of Latin American and indigenous American cinema, this year Cine Las Americas also has four "Master Classes" available to the public.

That's right -- available to the public, as in free, gratis, no dinero, won’t break your piggy bank. Of course there is a slight catch: If you have a film pass for Cine Las Americas, you get priority seating, so if you do want to attend, get there early to be at the front of the line. Or spend a few bucks and get a pass for one of the best kept secrets in film in a movie-hungry town (get one now and save on full price).

The four classes run from Monday, April 25 to Thursday, April 28, and take place at 4 pm in the Black Box Theater at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC). The MACC has been a venue for Cine Las Americas for a while now, and this year more films are screening there, meaning you can easily catch a master class then make the evening's films.

  • Monday, April 25 -- Carmen Marron, writer/director/producer, Go For It! talks about getting U.S. distribution for her inspirational dance film. Go For It! Opens theatrically on May 13, released by Pantelion Films (Lionsgate).
  • Tuesday, April 26 -- Andrés Martínez-Ríos, founder and director of Aatomo Rentas/Chemistry Cine. This case study of the film Jean Gentil (dir. Laura Amelia Guzmán and Ismael Cárdenes) will be a discussion of current state of international cooperation in production and post-production, with a focus on Mexico and the United States.
  • Wednesday, April 27 -- Sergio Carvajal, Facundo Productions, El Gallo miniseries. The team behind Austin-based miniseries El Gallo talks about local production and multimedia self-distribution strategies, specifically the topic "Remember The East Side: How Community Cinema Killed Hollywood."
  • Thursday, April 28 -- Trina Calderon, character development and screenwriter, Down for Life. Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) member Trina Calderon discusses her work developing a script for hire based on a true story of gang life in South Central Los Angeles.

Cine Las Americas runs April 21-28 at the MACC and Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. For more information on the fest or to purchase a badge, visit the Cine Las Americas website, follow them on Twitter, and find them on Facebook.